Dark
by LadieLazarus
Summary: Kitty dislikes her current situation. Pryde/Wisdom.


Title:

Fandom: X-men

Pairing: Pryde/Wisdom

Rating: PG-13

Prompt: 074 Dark

Beta'd by Lyssie

It's not good enough that he's got her back. That's not sufficient. In fact, part of his brain doesn't really register it until he wakes up in the middle of the night and she's standing by his bed.

She doesn't say anything at first, and for a brief and terrified moment, he's afraid that she's an illusion.

Either way, he doesn't care.

It's dark in the room, and so he has to lean over and turn on the bedside lamp. When the small yellow bulb flares to life, she's still there. She is standing next to the bed and playing with the hem of the blue camisole that she's wearing.

He's afraid, at first , to break the silence. He thinks that if he does, perhaps he'll break whatever spell has conjured her, but, eventually, his curiosity overwhelms his fear.

"Hullo." He keeps it noncommittal. After all, he has absolutely no idea what she's doing there.

"Hi." She smiles nervously.

"So, any particular reason that you're in my room re-enacting my last four nights' worth of dreams?"

She smiles again.

"Four?"

"Well, actually it's more than that, but I thought that might sound a bit pathetic." Pete shrugs, propping himself up on his elbows.

"True. You never know how something like that will sound."

"Exactly."

There is silence for a minute. Pete hates that it's awkward. Their silences aren't ever awkward. It's one of the things that he has always loved about them.

"And, so, you're probably still wondering what in the hell I'm doing here, huh?"

"The question had crossed my mind."

"Yeah." She brushes some hair back from her face. "Well, I… See… Wow." She stomps one foot, clearly frustrated. "This went so much easier in my head. It wasn't the least bit awkward."

"What wasn't, luv?" He sits up, fully, leaning his back against the headboard and folding his hands across his stomach.

"What I want to say."

"Which is?"

"That I've been thinking a lot lately."

"About something that can't wait for breakfast?"

"I think so, yeah." She nods. He's curious, now. It's not like her to be so hesitant. When Pryde wants to say something, it generally gets said, and quickly.

"Well, you've got my attention. Go." Pete gropes for his cigarettes and lights one. If he's going to be awake, he's going to have a cigarette.

"I miss you."

It's the absolute last sentiment he's expecting, and he actually chokes on a cigarette for the first time since he was fourteen.

"You… Pryde, in case you haven't noticed, it's not as though I'm far away from you at the moment."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what exactly do you—Wait." He stops, comprehension slowly dawning. "You mean that you actually miss me, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." He's taken aback by this information. He's been so busy, since she returned, thinking about how difficult it was for him to have her this close without actually having her, and he hadn't actually stopped to consider that she might be feeling something similar.

"Yeah."

"And what, exactly, were you thinking that we should do about that?" He ashes his cigarette and takes another slow drag.

"I was kind of hoping that you'd be willing to let me try to rock your world." She shrugs casually, as though she might be suggesting that it could rain later. Pete chokes on his cigarette for the second time in twenty years. He finds it fitting that she be the cause of both occurrences.

"You… Oh." He puts out the cigarette. This matter suddenly requires his full attention.

"Yeah."

"I… Well, in all honesty, I don't think you'd need to try very hard, Pryde. You've always had a natural knack for it, actually." Pete shrugs, falling back on his typical humor, not really sure what else to say.

"That's true. I am pretty talented." She is clearly still quite nervous, but gaining confidence.

"And how."

"Of course, if you'd rather not right now, I understand. After all, you do have to get up in a few hours, and I'd rather not be responsible for a warlock uprising conquering England tomorrow because I kept the director of MI-13 awake all night in my quest for multiple orgasms and life-affirming sex."

Pete couldn't actually form a coherent response to that statement for several minutes. The imagery that his overly visual memory supplied prevented it.

"Ah…" He stumbles, mentally berating himself for his lack of wit.

"Can I sit down?" She asks, gesturing to the bed next to him.

"Oh. Yeah. 'Course." Pete nods, and she sits down. He finds it difficult to concentrate now, when he can practically feel the heat of her skin.

"Look, Pete, we both know that this failed last time. And, I think we both know that it was due, in no small part, to the fact that we didn't communicate. I really want this to work this time. When I say that I miss you, and that I want to pursue this again, I want you to understand that I'm not taking it lightly."

"Well, Good." He shifts under the blanket, not positive of where this was going, but more than willing to play along for now. "That would be bloody fantastic, Pryde. In all seriousness."

"Yes, it would." She nods. "Of course, that doesn't mean that I have no intention of making good on my offer right now. I see no reason why, if we're both interested in reconciliation, we can't start here. We're good at this, after all, if I remember correctly."

"We are, in fact." He grins. Then, something occurs to him. He can't not ask the question that is playing through his brain. "But, look, Pryde, if all you want is a little life-affirming sex, as you put it, I'm more than happy to oblige. God knows I've had my share of nights when I've been in need of a little affirmation." He lights another cigarette and waves the pack in her direction. She shakes her head in refusal. "It doesn't have to be the start of anything."

He doesn't mean it, but he hopes that she can't tell. If sex is what she needs, after all, then he knows that he'll give it to her without hesitation. But, at the same time, he knows that, for him, it's not enough.

"No, Pete. That's not it." She shakes her head, reaching over to place one of her hands on top of his. "I really do want to try this again. I want to give it a fair try."

He lets out a breath that he doesn't notice was being held.

"Excellent."

"Now, if it's not too much trouble, do you think that we could either have sex or go to sleep. I promise that we'll talk about it all, in great detail tomorrow, but right now, honestly, I'm too tired to talk about this anymore right now."

"Fair enough." He leans over, then, and kisses her.

He hasn't kissed her in a long time, but the moment that he does, he thinks to himself that it's a lot like riding a bike. Suddenly, all of those years of separation seem like far distant past. Pryde is back in his arms, and in his bed, where she belongs, and it's almost as though no time has passed at all.

When they separate for oxygen, she reaches down and pulls her camisole over her head. She's naked underneath, and it isn't until his chest burns that he realizes that he's stopped breathing.

Kitty smiles. It's a slow, sexy smile that he thought he'd seen the last of.

"So, about those multiple orgasms?"

"I think I might be able to handle that."


End file.
